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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Maybe when I get the binding sewn on (I'll use the same blue as the inner border) I can get a picture of the whole quilt! As slow as I am with binding that will be some time from now - I actually don't know how many quilts that are waiting to be bound.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

I took a couple of hours on December 15th after Sit &Sew to load this quilt. It is the biggest one I have put on this machine. It is 96 by 96 so it takes up most of the width.

When I was ready to attach the bottom of the quilt top I discovered that I had pinned the backing to the wrong take up roller. How very annoying!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon, after Sit & Sew and lunch at Agave (the usual thing we do), I went straight home and redid the pinning so I could start quilting.

I managed to get four rows quilted too.

I'm doing a free hand fan design so it goes along pretty good.

Who knows maybe the quilting will get finished on this one by the end of 2015!

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Undercover Bee Christmas 2015

Lots of great Christmas parties this year and our bee party,as usual, was one of the best.We had a very nice turnout - lots of good food, fun and friends - very best things! And Sylvia's grand daughter was nice enough to come and take our photo too!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

This Friday is our town's Christmas lighting celebration. In addition our church is having their annual cookie walk and live nativity. And the Woman's Club is having a fund raiser too. So I have 12 dozen pinwheel cookies for the cookie walk, trays, cake stands etc. to take to church. Hot chocolate mix, tablecloths and a quilted Christmas wall hanging to take to the Woman's Club Building.

After I delivered these and had my hair cut I came home and made two batches of sand tart cookies. While the dough was chilling - I went down to the little house to work on the quilt I had loaded on Saturday afternoon.

I was having trouble with skipping stitches and thread fraying so I decided to leave it and see if I could determine what was going on. I read up on it and today I did three things. I loosened the the top thread tension, loosened the tension of the quilt top and also slowed down my speed. I only had one thread break today. I seem to have more problems with thread fraying when quilting batiks.

Started to bake the Sand Tarts about 5 PM. I scorched the very first ones.

Friday, November 27, 2015

It finished at 72 x 72". A pattern in one of Carrie Nelson's Miss Rosie books. I call it Stars and Geese.

I quilted it in an allover fan design that I did freehand on the long arm.

I finished sewing the last few inches of binding while watching the beginning of the Macy's Parade.

And waiting for the family to arrive for food fun and games.

No shopping for me today - after putting away the Thanksgiving and fall decor, I'm torn between loading a quilt on the longarm or working outside as the weather is absolutely perfect for me. 70 degrees and sunny for late November, who could ask for more?

Sunday, November 22, 2015

I am trying to get organized again. I had several quilt tops that were hanging behind the sewing room door or in closets so................................. time to hunt for fabrics for backs. I'm trying to use pieces that I already have of course!

The blue moon fabric is a piece that I have been hoarding for years and fortunately I had six yards so it was enough to give me two lengths for this big top - it's 96 x 96".

I used some leftover blocks to enlarge the back width wise.

I think I have started calling this top Ziggy Double Four Patch.

This is a portion of the top - it is way to big to put on any design surface I had.

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Two of my sisters and myself had a great time last week meeting up with cousins on my Mother's side of the family and their children and grandchildren in upstate New York.

My cousin had this picture of herself (Patty), her brother (Dougie) and me. Taken at our Grandmother Krom's house in the early 1950's.

I think Grandmother was planning to take us to pick berries. Where was my hat???

Fast forward 65 years - here we are after breakfast at the diner in Ovid NY before we departed for our respective homes.

Doug, Pat, Barb, Janet and Patty.

Heading out tonight to our Community Thanksgiving Music Service hosted by St. Eugene's. Our choir will be singing so I'll pick up a couple of friends on the way.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

I started making these blocks in 2010. I set the blocks with the first sashing while at retreat in Virginia in September.

Arranged them and set together when I returned home. Then added a 3.5 inch floral border.

The quilt measures 80 x 94".

I know this is a Bonnie Hunter pattern as I first saw a version made by Sue on Suebee Quilts Blog.

I don't know what size blocks she used but mine finished at 6 inches as I used 2 inch and 3.5 inch squares.

I quilted it just before we left for Seattle.

The binding is on too.

The girls, except M, and I went to Seattle for a little R & R. The first place we ate was at the Biscuit Bitch - recommended by Molly when she came out for a grad school visit to U of WA.

We did all the tourist attractions and climbed more hills that I care to remember. And had a wonderful time. And ate lots - there was a great restaurant, Vonn's 1000 Spirits, right next door to where we stayed at Harbor Steps.

By far the best of the best for us was Chihuly Gardens.

We liked all the venues that had someone there to take our pictures

And the weather was pretty good - the sun even peaked out a couple of times.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

This weekend, my cousins will host a reunion of their Dad and Mom's families in Lodi, NY on Seneca Lake. It will be so good to see my cousins, Patty and Doug, who I haven't seen in a very long time. And to meet their offspring who we have only known through Facebook.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Shelly and Hannah making the center for their camping flag (phlag) for the Watkins Glen trip.

I'm just here for the sewing part!

Hannah gets the trimming job!

This thing is pretty big! Shelly has ideas on how they will fly it! They'll use it to help located their car when they get to the camping area at the Magnaball Festival. They love going to concerts where they can camp and enjoy the scene - so to speak.

We ended the afternoon with a game of Rummikub.

This is a post that I wrote and forgot to post back in August - oh well!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

This morning Pat J. and myself delivered quilts to the Hospice Unit at the VA Hospital in Durham.

We are pictured with the new director of the unit and one of the staff members. They were so appreciative to receive the quilts and sent thanks to all the quilters who spent many hours making them.

The back seat as well as the rear were full before they started unloading them. We had a total of 53 quilts. Seventeen from Pine Tree Quilters in Apex and the rest from Undercover Quilters in Zebulon.

We also had about 25 Patriotic pillow cases that were made by several gals from the Undercover group. The lady in charge of Voluntary Services said they used them for Veterans who had been found housing to cheer their bedroom.

We were so glad to able to deliver them right before Veteran's Day and it was heart warming to know that the hospice patients will each have a handmade quilt to cheer their room when they are admitted. The patient's family is given the quilt in memory.

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These are the quilts that I sent this year. Last year I didn't get even one finished in time to take to the hospital so I wanted to be sure I had some to donate this year.

I had set myself a goal to make one donation quilt each month this year. I did finish a couple more last week so believe it or not I'm just squeaking by - I need to make 2 more before the end of the year.

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About Me

A mother to 5, grandmother to 10. We live just outside a small town in NC and enjoy spending time at our place at Lake Gaston on the NC/VA border. We are active members of WUMC and feel blessed to have a wonderful church family.